5,000 barrels seeped in river

Petrotrin speaks:

About 5,000 barrels of slop oil (combination of oil, water and sediment) seeped into the Guara­cara River following the leak at the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery on Monday, Petrotrin said yesterday.

In a release, the company said it was continuing its clean-up and reco­very operations.

Upon discovery of the leak, Petrotrin said its “emergency response plan was activated and our team was immediate­ly mobilised to begin 24-hour operations supporting our containment, recovery and community-

response efforts. Containment booms were deployed within the refinery and in the Guaracara River”.

“Our records show that Tank MP6 contained 21,000 barrels of slop oil (combination of oil, water and sediment) at the time of the leak. Of this, some 2,500 barrels was pumped into another tank and of the remaining volume, approximately 5,000 barrels seeped into the Guaracara River. The remainder is contained within the refinery compound.

Recovery of the slop oil from the Guaracara River and the refinery compound continues around the clock,” the release stated.

Petrotrin said its representatives have visited the affected community to identify concerns and provide attention as necessary and advised it is safe for residents to cook.

It added continuous air-quality monitoring is being conducted and the company was working towards the establishment of an emergency shelter for impacted residents.